Statement from the National Women’s Council of Ireland Putting the Well into Welfare - Women have th

Published: Wednesday, May 06, 2009

All the main political parties except Fianna Fail today supported a demand from the National Women's Council of Ireland for a universal state pension. Fianna Fail declined to send a spokesperson. All agreed that this could be funded through the redistribution of state expenditure on private pensions. Senator Dan Boyle, Green Party spokesperson on Social Welfare, described the current situation 'as indefensible'.

Jan O'Sullivan, Labour Party T.D. for Limerick said the issue of pension rights for women should be addressed immediately, 'the economic downturn cannot be used as an excuse not to address inequalities and injustices', she said.

The NWCI is campaigning for full pension rights for women who have worked as carers, on family farms and in business, and for women who lost pension rights as a result of the marriage bar.

Fine Gael, T.D. Kieran O'Donnell said that fundamental reform is required 'its not about tinkering about the edges'. Councillor Toireasa Ferris, Sinn Fein, pledged her party's '100% support for reforms'.

The politicians were speaking at NWCI's seminar on the Social Welfare Camapign in Limerick. Liz Price of the Limerick Women's Network (LINC), read out a letter from a women who has cared for her disabled husband for 36 years. The women said she would never be credited for her years spent as a full time carer, homemaker and mother. 'I believe this is an injustice; after all, I have saved the state a lot of money'.